Croatia hosted the first edition of the EuroHockey Institute Developing National Coaching Systems (DNCS) programme which has been built to support national associations improve their national coaching systems.
The programme sees national associations receive financial support and partnership with an educator, in this case Valentin Altenburg (Olympics 2026 bronze winning coach), to review their current coaching curriculum.
His role was also to further educate the national workforce which delivers coach education in the country.
The goal is for more EuroHockey national associations to be capable of delivering world-class education, aligned to European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the global standards of the FIH Academy
The further goal is for that education to be delivered in the local language by local educators.
** Valentin Altenburg leads a session with the coaching group
Croatia was selected as one of the first candidates after it recently completed the organisational health service – a five step framework has enabled national associations to better understand their organisational needs, align with government and Olympic bodies, and build sustainable pathways for growth.
It follows the launch of Croatia’s new strategy and the appointment of Nikola Hanžek as Sports Director, Croatia were ready to take on the DNCS programme.
Hanžek worked in tandem with Altenburg to produce the extensive schedule, working with 24 national coaches (19 male and 5 female).
They got to work with more than 70 young players across U14 boys and girls squads, running a six-station training model that rotated every 10 minutes to maximise engagement and learning.
Coaches were challenged to think differently about talent development as sessions emphasised early talent recognition and structured, game-relevant training.
The weekend also included live match observation at HAHK Mladost, where participants analysed competitive fixtures before presenting their insights in an interactive feedback session with Altenburg.
Attention then shift to tactical development with an U16 boys’ session focusing on building team structures and preparing for competitive demands in the upcoming season.
** Players taking in one of their skills stations
Throughout the visit, there was a strong emphasis on empowering local coaches with Hanžek taking an increasingly active role in leading sessions and coordinating the group.
By the conclusion of the first module, Croatian coaches had not only completed key FIH Level 1 learning outcomes but also gained practical tools to deliver more structured, player-centred training environments.
The next modules are set to take place across the summer to combine a course in Zagreb with the development of a new club on the coast in Zadar.
